NCERT MCQ Solutions for Class 5 EVS Looking Around Chapter 2 A Snake Charmer’s Story

Roshan Nathji is mentioned as his grandfather, while Pankaj Gorana and Mani Babbar are credited as photographers in the document.

While they are also referred to as saperas (snake-charmers), Kalbeliyas is their specific community name. The Kalbelia community is traditionally associated with snake charming and has their own distinctive dance form that mimics snake movements.

The ‘been’ is the iconic wind instrument traditionally used by snake charmers to entertain people with their snakes. Although other instruments like the tumba and khanjiri are part of their musical troupe, the ‘been’ is central to the act of snake charming.

Aryanath’s grandfather, Roshan Nathji, was a legendary figure within their community. He was renowned for his exceptional skill and knowledge in handling and catching even the most poisonous snakes, and he passes this wisdom down to Aryanath.

The traditional method for snake charmers to transport their snakes was in bamboo baskets. These baskets were practical for their nomadic lifestyle as they were light, portable, and allowed the snakes to breathe during travel from one village to another.

Besides entertaining, snake charmers played an important role as healers in rural communities. They carried tin boxes containing herbal medicines, which they prepared from plants collected from the forest, to treat various ailments, including snakebites.

The many types of snakes found in India, only a few are venomous. It specifically names four types: the Cobra, Common Krait, Russel’s Viper (Duboiya), and Saw-scaled Viper (Afai), correcting the common misconception that all snakes are dangerous.

When a venomous snake bites, it injects poison through two special, hollow teeth called fangs. These fangs work like needles, channeling the venom from glands in the snake’s head into the victim’s body.

The government enacted laws to protect wildlife due to the illegal trade of animal products. Some people were trapping and killing animals, like snakes, to sell their skins for large sums of money. This law was meant to stop such exploitation and conserve animal populations.

Snakes play a crucial role in the ecosystem as natural pest controllers. By preying on rats and other rodents in the fields, they help protect the farmers’ crops from being eaten or destroyed, thus making them beneficial for agriculture.

The Kalbelia dance, a famous folk dance of their community, is known for its graceful and fluid movements that imitate a snake. This artistic expression reflects the deep cultural connection and understanding the Kalbeliyas have with snakes, which have been central to their way of life.

In the Kalbeliya community, snakes are considered a valuable treasure and an essential part of their livelihood. This is highlighted by the unique tradition of gifting a snake to a daughter upon her marriage, ensuring the continuation of their cultural practice in her new family.

Many of the traditional instruments used by a Kalbeliya ‘been’ party, such as the been, tumba, and khanjiri, are crafted from a natural material: dried gourd (lauki). This demonstrates their resourcefulness and use of organic materials to create the distinctive sounds of their music.

Faced with laws that made snake charming difficult, the grandfather advises Aryanath to adapt. He suggests focusing on their community’s musical talents by forming a ‘been’ party to entertain people, thus preserving their cultural identity while finding a new way to earn a living.

The grandfather encourages Aryanath to share their community’s knowledge and correct common fears about snakes. He wants him to teach others that snakes are not enemies but are friends to the farmers and that people should not be needlessly afraid of them.

Knowledge in the Kalbeliya community, including the art of handling snakes and making herbal medicines, is passed down from one generation to the next. The grandfather learned these valuable skills from his own father and grandfather, highlighting the importance of oral tradition and family heritage.

A key piece of wisdom shared in the story is that the vast majority of snakes are not poisonous. This fact is shared to dispel common myths and reduce the widespread fear of snakes, encouraging a more accurate and respectful understanding of these creatures.

The story explains the important ecological balance in which snakes participate. If snakes were not present to control the rat population, the rats would multiply and destroy the farmers’ crops, leading to food shortages.

While snake charmers traditionally provided remedies, the story clarifies that the official medicine for a snakebite, the anti-venom, is made from snake venom itself and is readily available in all government hospitals for proper medical treatment.

The grandfather’s deep knowledge of snakes included the ability to identify which type of snake had bitten a person simply by looking at the bite marks left on the skin. This expertise was crucial for him to know what kind of traditional remedy to provide.